School: Mercy Convent, Rathangan
- Location:
- Rathangan, Co. Kildare
- Teacher: Sr. M. Pádraig
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0778, Page 099
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- One wet Winter's night a motor boat was on it's way to Dublin. Mr. James Ruan, who at the time was living at Rathangan, was steering the boat. A short distance from the "Seventh Lough" there is a fairly big stream, and as he approached it, Mr. Ruan's attention was attracted by pitiful cries. He flashed on a torch, and he at once saw the form of a woman, sitting on a big stone beside the stream. She was combing her hair, and weeping bitterly, and he immediately recognised her as the "Banshee". At first he thought that there was going to be a death in his family, but on going into Dublin on the following day, he learned that a young girl had been drowned in the stream.
The "Banshee" is said to be a friend of a dying person. When a person is on the point of death, she comes and cries for him. It is believed that the dying one is happy when the(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mary K. Burke
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- Mrs Brigid Behan
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- c. 68
- Address
- Rathangan, Co. Kildare
